The present invention concerns new compositions of matter useful as latent catalysts for reacting epoxy resins with polyhydric phenols.
It is desirable to have epoxy resin compositions which contain catalysts which will not become active until heated so as to improve storage life. Tyler, Jr. et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,295, Perry in U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,855 and Dante in U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,990 disclose precatalyzed epoxy resin compositions which contain onium compounds as the catalyst. While the epoxy resin compositions containing these catalysts are relatively storage stable, it would be desirable for the precatalyzed epoxy resin composition to be even more stable.
It has now been discovered that when an onium compound or amine compound has been contacted with an acid having a weak-nucleophilic anion that the storage stability of precatalyzed epoxy resins is improved.